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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Rep. Hunter Abell and I sent out an email alert last week right before we went on the House floor to debate House Bill 1296 which would gut Initiative 2081, the Parents’ Bill of Rights. I know many of you responded and watched TVW or our social media livestream as our number of participants went up dramatically shortly after our alert went out. Thank you! Your comments were appreciated and gave us fuel as we fought for over six hours until nearly 3:00 a.m. the next morning. Despite this effort, and introducing more than 50 amendments, the bill passed with no Republican support.
However, the fight isn’t over yet. HB 1296 must go through the Senate. It has already had a public hearing but has yet to clear the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee. I encourage you to contact Democrat committee members (which you can find here) and implore them to kill this bill.
Tax increases on the horizon?
It was no surprise that the majority party this week announced their solution to closing our state’s budget shortfall: taxes, Taxes, and more TAXES! But how did we get here?
Budget writers introduced their tax increase proposals this week and it doesn’t look good for hard-working taxpayers. Senate Democrats want $20 billion in taxes increases over the next four years. Along with a payroll tax and several other taxes, they include a wealth tax, which will not bring in near the amount they assume because the ultra-wealthy can – and will – move to a state with a more friendly tax environment. They also want a property tax increase which is larger than the one introduced last year but was killed due to rabid public opposition. If both of these proposals bring in less than they assume in their budget, how will they backfill it? Budgeting on unstable revenue sources is unwise and unsustainable.
House Democrats also proposed a property tax increase. They also want a B&O tax increase and a surcharge on what they say are “high grossing companies,” but many see them as “high employment companies.” Balancing a budget on the backs of homeowners and employers will hurt families, job producers, and our economy.
My fear is that House Democrats will want their taxes and budget, the Senate Democrats will want theirs, and Gov. Bob Ferguson will want his. The result could be a special session with Democrats trying to decide which taxes to raise as they negotiate with themselves and with little input from Republicans. It could be a long summer.
My Legislative Page
I was pleased to host Ellie Michaelis from Kettle Falls this week as a Legislative Page. She is the daughter of Marsha Michaelis and is homeschooled. She likes art and reading. I’m glad she got to spend time learning about our legislative process and help out around the state Capital. Thank you, Ellie!
Thank you for all of your support and input these first two months in office representing you. I continue to learn from you and my respect for the residents of the 7th District continues to deepen. You truly are people who care, who want to be involved, and who want to change things for the better. I couldn’t be more humbled to serve you in Olympia. And please don’t forget to join me, Rep. Abell, and Sen. Shelly Short next week for our telephone town hall!
Sincerely,
Andrew Engell
